The lack of Buddhist anthropomorphic representations was common in the earliest Buddhist period

1. In the aniconic period, the Buddha was represented with a wheel, an elephant, a lotus, etc. The lack of Buddhist anthropomorphic representations was common in the earliest Buddhist period. With the establishment of Greek colonies in Central Asia and specifically in Gandhara, the Hellenistic style was absorbed and adapted to create iconic Buddhist images that eventually reached China. Discuss how foreign elements contributed to the creation of Buddhist art in China since the first millennium CE.

2. Buddhist material culture (such as banners, printings, scrolls, metal containers, clay tablets, etc.) was a form of devotional art that contributed to the spreading of Buddhist knowledge across China. Buddhist images were reproduced and adopted on various media. Sometimes Buddhist elements from the sutras were combined with elements from folk tales and Taoist traditions and formed new imaginary that became “traditionally” Chinese. Discuss the role of Buddhist material culture in China and how materials were recycled and contributed to the formation of Chinese Buddhist religiosity over the centuries.

3. During the Tang period, the so-called Tang international style (after the so-called Gupta international style) contributed to the development of specific Buddhist features in art, which were recontextualized in Korea and Japan, creating an iconic East Asian form of Buddhist Art. Discuss the evolution of Tang Buddhist Art and its main stylistic features.

4. The stupa is one of the most important Buddhist architectural forms which generally contains sacred relics or remains. The original Indian circular shape was eventually transformed and replaced in China; examples are central-pillared caves in Kizil and Dunhuang or earlier pagodas in Chang’an, and again, the later white Tibetan-style stupa in Beijing or on the Wuatishan (mountain). Discuss how stupas and pagodas contributed to the creation of sacred pilgrimage sites in China and changed the natural environment.